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Women and girls experience poverty and inequality due to
 systemic failures that violate their human rights. 
The root causes of gender-based socioeconomic disparity lie within
 economic, social, political and cultural systems. 
Dominant economic models have exacerbated women’s and girls’ vulnerability to poverty. At the same time, women’s unique experiences of poverty have not been visible in traditional methods used to measure and address poverty and inequality.

 Urgent action, using feminist, intersectional human rights-based approaches, 
 is needed to address poverty and inequality as global concerns. 

Here’s what that looks like.

Women and girls experience poverty
and inequality due to  systemic 
 failures that violate their 
 human rights. 
The root causes of gender-based
socioeconomic disparity lie within
 economic, social, political and 
 cultural systems. 
Dominant economic models have
exacerbated women’s and girls’
vulnerability to poverty. At the same
time, women’s unique experiences of
poverty have not been visible in
traditional methods used to measure
and address poverty and inequality.

 Urgent action, using feminist, 
 intersectional human rights-based 
 approaches, is needed to address 
 poverty and inequality as 
 global concerns. 

Here’s what that looks like.

Gendered inequalities and
international human rights

The right to live free from poverty and inequality goes beyond addressing economic deprivation – it must be examined as a civil, political, social, environmental and cultural right. 

Gender-based and intersectional inequalities shape the experiences of poverty for women and girls. Poverty persists due to the actions of States and economic actors, along with a lack of targeted policies addressing systemic inequalities.

Regional human rights bodies have adopted integrated concepts of human rights, framing poverty and inequality as abuses of multiple rights, and often as forms of structural violence undermining human dignity.

Right to equality and
non-discrimination

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Right to social
protection

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Rights to bodily autonomy and integrity, and to live free from all forms of violence

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Violations of women’s economic, social and cultural rights

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Right to equality and
non-discrimination

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Right to social
protection

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Rights to bodily autonomy and integrity, and to live free from all forms of violence

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Violations of women’s economic, social and cultural rights

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How to build a feminist, human
rights-based economy

We must move beyond simply avoiding discrimination, to create fairer systems that generate and 
 distribute resources more equitably. 

Real equality means mobilising and sharing resources within and between countries, in line with international obligations on socioeconomic rights and SDG 10 to reduce inequality within and among countries.

The current global crises should prompt examination of our economic systems’ impact on human 
 rights and the planet. 

Neoliberal economic policies over the past 40 years have narrowed the tax base, leaving individual taxpayers holding the bag while the contributions of large corporations and high-income earners have declined. 

This means fewer economic resources to invest into essential public services and social protection, which are critical for addressing women’s and girls’ poverty and reducing inequality. Proportional 
 and progressive taxation is key to the redistribution of resources and to advance gender equality.

In low-income countries in 2021, debt repayments were worth 171% of all spending on health care, education and social protection combined. In 2022, the cost of servicing debt among low-income countries globally was estimated at $43 billion.

We have seen the impact of diverting the cost of debt into social programmes in recent years.
 Debt cancellation or debt relief is a prerequisite for just and human rights-based redistributive 
 public policies. 

These are just some of the ways that policy decisions could drive equality – others include gendered transformative reparations, equity and transparency in trade and investment systems, and
increasing corporate accountability for exercising due diligence and protecting human rights, as 
 well as remedies for failure. 

How to build a feminist,
human rights-based
economy

We must move beyond simply avoiding
discrimination, to create fairer systems that 
 generate and distribute resources 
 more equitably. 

Real equality means mobilising and sharing
resources within and between countries,
in line with international obligations on
socioeconomic rights and SDG 10 to reduce
inequality within and among countries.

The current global crises should prompt
 examination of our economic systems’ 
 impact on human rights and the planet. 

Neoliberal economic policies over the past 40
years have narrowed the tax base, leaving
individual taxpayers holding the bag while the
contributions of large corporations and
high-income earners have declined.

This means fewer economic resources to
invest into essential public services and
social protection, which are critical for
addressing women’s and girls’ poverty and
reducing inequality. Proportional and 
 progressive taxation is key to the
redistribution of resources and to advance
gender equality.

In low-income countries in 2021, debt
repayments were worth 171% of all spending
on health care, education and social
protection combined. In 2022, the cost of
servicing debt among low-income countries
globally was estimated at $43 billion.

We have seen the impact of diverting the cost
of debt into social programmes in recent
years. Debt cancellation or debt relief is a 
 prerequisite for just and human rights-based 
 redistributive public policies. 

These are just some of the ways that policy
decisions could drive equality – others
include gendered transformative reparations, 
 equity and transparency in trade and 
 investment systems, and increasing
 corporate accountability for exercising due 
 diligence and protecting human rights, as 
 well as remedies for failure. 

  • Grounding all laws and policies in the core human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination.
  • Guaranteeing universal, accessible, adequate, available, gender-responsive and comprehensive social protection.
  • Ensuring equal rights to land, housing and property.
  • Preventing and mitigating aggravated risks of poverty, and responding to intersectional discrimination. 
  • Recognising and developing comprehensive and gender-responsive regulatory and economic frameworks, policies and programmes.
  • Realising women’s and girls’ rights to bodily autonomy and freedom from violence.
  • Ensuring the availability, affordability and accessibility of sexual and reproductive health rights, information, and services and goods.
  • Preventing and responding to gender-based discrimination and violence.
  • Carrying out gender-responsive resource redistribution. 
  • Ensuring access to justice, including for violations of socioeconomic rights, the right to development, and the right to a safe, healthy and sustainable environment.
  • Repealing or modifying laws that criminalise acts associated with poverty and life-sustaining activities, the exercise of sexual and reproductive autonomy rights, including abortion, and other status offences that disproportionately affect poor and marginalised women and girls.
  • Adopting a feminist and human rights-based approach to the measurement of intersecting forms of discrimination.
  • Swap growth-centred and neoliberal paradigms for feminist and human rights-based approaches 
  • Design, construct and implement gender-responsive budgets 
  • Ensure the participation and consultation of diverse groups of women and girls in the design, preparation and implementation of economic and social laws and policies.
  • Regularly collect and publicly disseminate disaggregated data across all key metrics, especially those related to the Sustainable Development Goals that focus on poverty and inequalities.
  • Identify and modify implicit and explicit fiscal biases against women and girls, specific groups, or countries.
  • Adopt holistic, gender-responsive measurements of poverty and inequality that capture diverse experiences.
  • Develop and mainstream gender-responsive and human rights-based macroeconomic policy prescriptions on structural adjustment and national debt repayments.
  • Contribute to the realisation of the rights of all women and girls.
  • Implement participatory gender and human rights impact and due diligence processes.
  • Ensure that grievance mechanisms and remedies for business-related abuses are accessible, effective and gender-transformative.
  • Ensure corporate accountability and tax justice.
  • Mainstream a feminist and human rights-based approach into their national action plans and other national follow-up mechanisms on business and human rights.

Here’s how you can make a difference

All actions contribute to change.
Here are four you can take today.

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Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by poverty and inequality

 

In 2022:

  • 388 million women and girls lived in extreme poverty
  • 62.8% of these women and girls lived in sub-Saharan Africa
  • 20.9% lived in Central and South Asia

Extreme inequality has also deepened since 2020.

  • The richest 1% of the world has seized nearly two thirds of all new wealth.
  • That’s almost twice as much money as the remaining 99% of the world’s population.

Policy priorities are not gender-neutral

“Most of the problems in the world are caused by poverty.”

– African girl activist, Consultation with African young women

 

(Scroll the text below to read more)

Women and girls face inequality and poverty due to economic policies shaped by patriarchal systems and institutions that prioritise male and corporate power. 

These policies disregard the unique experiences and rights of women and girls, perpetuating existing hierarchies. 

Poverty and inequalities are structural issues that hinder sustainable development, making it difficult to address global challenges including climate change, ecological collapse, public health emergencies, armed conflicts and economic recessions, as well as migration, food and care crises.

Neoliberalism fuels inequality

 

The influence of neoliberal economic policies over the past 40 years has led to higher poverty and inequality, particularly for women and girls. 

These policies have resulted in limited economic resources available to support policies, services and programmes that promote women’s rights and gender equality, such as social protection and public services.

Inequalities are made worse by macroeconomic approaches such as structural adjustment, austerity measures or those aimed at securing payment of national debts, which have increased inequalities within and between nations.

Poverty intersects with other forms of discrimination

 

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Women and girls experience poverty differently based on:

  • Race
  • Ethnicity
  • Migration status
  • Age
  • Disability
  • Religion
  • Location
  • Sexual orientation
  • Gender identity

Recent opposition to gender equality highlights the importance of prioritising human rights and intersectional feminist approaches to address poverty and its associated inequalities.

Systems are unequal and must change

 

Historically, economic policies have focused on integrating women into unequal systems rather than transforming those systems to promote and protect human rights. 

Interventions addressing women’s poverty often adopt a narrow view of poverty as merely lacking economic resources, and oversimplify women’s experiences.

It is crucial to challenge and transform these systems to address intersectional inequalities, promote gender and socioeconomic equality, and combat poverty effectively.

 

Our response to crisis sidelines human rights

 

In times of crisis, such as economic downturns, security approaches often overlook human rights, disproportionately affecting women and girls. Recognising security as intertwined with human rights would help address the increased risks of gendered poverty and inequality caused by crises. 

The COVID-19 crisis has prompted a reevaluation of how we value different work and roles in society, highlighting the centrality of care roles to society, and the role of the State in defining and funding public services.

We have the opportunity to reconsider an economic model that prioritises unlimited economic growth at the expense of human rights, equality, social protection and the environment. 

Right to equality and non-discrimination

“Migrant workers are excluded from the labour law … have limited access to justice and are excluded from protection of laws on sexual harassment. ”

– Participant, MENA consultations

 

(Scroll the text below to read more)

  • Women and girls in poverty face disproportionate application of criminal laws.
  • Indigenous, migrant, ethnic minority and homeless women, as well as women sex workers, do not have equal access to justice.
  • Such women may also be unable to secure land or housing rights, safe working conditions, or social security.

Right to social protection

“White, rich men without disabilities decide what is valuable.”

– Participant, European consultations

 

(Scroll the text below to read more)

Human rights instruments and SDG target 5.4 call for public services and social protection to recognise, value, reduce and redistribute unpaid care and domestic work.

  • An estimated 4.1 billion people worldwide are not covered by any social protection, the majority being older women in Africa.
  • Most social security systems continue to be gender-insensitive.
  • Women and girls with disabilities, migrants, refugees, and those from ethnic minority and Indigenous communities are frequently the targets of ‘welfare stigma’.

Rights to bodily autonomy and integrity, and to live free from all forms of violence 

“Poverty leads people to do things against their will.”

– African young activist, during consultations with African young women

 

(Scroll the text below to read more)

Denial of sexual and reproductive autonomy deprives women of their right to personal integrity, and impedes their right to equal participation in public life, education and employment.

  • 164 million women globally have an unmet need for family planning.
  • Privatised reproductive health services and products are unaffordable for low-income women and girls.
  • Criminalisation of women and girls seeking healthcare disproportionately affects those without the means to travel to other jurisdictions.
  • Coerced sterilisation is an outcome of the intersectional discrimination and violence experienced by women and girls living in poverty.

Violations of women’s economic, social and cultural rights

“We are not poor; we are being impoverished”

– Participant, European consultations, on the labour of women from the Global South

 

(Scroll the text below to read more)

The right to an adequate standard of living is crucial for women and girls to live with dignity. This includes access to food, housing, electricity, water, sanitation, and the right to rest and leisure. 

  • 31.9% of women and girls in the world are moderately or severely food insecure, compared with 27.6% of men.
  • Menstrual poverty is heightened by taxes on period products.
  • Poor women and girls from low-income countries are 70% more likely to die from preventable complications of pregnancy, childbirth and unsafe abortion.
  • Women are 9% less likely than men to have a bank account.
  • 300 million fewer women than men have access to mobile internet in low and middle-income countries.

Jump to sections:

Gendered inequalities
of poverty:

Feminist and human
rights-based approaches